Faculty and Student Research Poster Session and Research Fair

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Sustainability Leadership Competencies
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Yarbrough, Jillian R.
Sustainable development is defined by the Bundtland Commissions of the United Nations (March 20, 1987) as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.” For businesses, this means the management and coordination of environmental, social and financial needs should occur in such a way as to ensure ethical and ongoing operations for the immediate and the future. Recent years have seen a significant increase in stakeholder pressure on firms to not only be economically sustainable but also to operate from an environmentally and socially responsible perspective (Wingarten, Lo and Lam, 2017). With an increased global focus on sustainability, the need for concrete sustainability-based guidance from organizational leaders is intensifying. For businesses, to meet sustainability expectations, leadership and management must have the ability to coordinate and manage environmental, social and financial needs, both immediate and long term. Based on interviews with leaders engaged in sustainability efforts and an extensive review of the literature, the researcher will present leadership characteristics that are important for current and future sustainability-based organizations. Further, recommendations will be made specifically for supporting sustainability and developing new sustainability leadership.
Flipped Classroom Activities' Effect on Student Self-Efficacy for AAC
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Collom, Zeth E.
Self-efficacy is positively correlated with clinical performance. There are few studies investigating if specific pedagogical approaches influence speech-language pathology graduate students' self-efficacy in a particular domain of service provision or strategy use. This study investigated if a flipped classroom's activities increased student reported self-efficacy for augmentative-alternative communication clinical skills across several subdomains using pre- and post-course questionnaires developed by the instructor. Preliminary analysis indicates that students' self-efficacy improved for treatment skills but not in assessment and foundational knowledge. Also, qualitative analysis indicates that pair-explore-share activities using podcasts made a greater impact than a formal professional conference in a particular AAC approach.
A Novel Air Purification Technology: Assessment on the Reduction of Aeroallergen, Dander and Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5)
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Ghosh, Nabarun
One of the top environmental concerns of the world today is air pollution. It is affecting our health every day. There is a gradual rise in allergy and asthma cases all over the world. Particulate matter of size 2.5 microns are a major health concern of the present decade since when inhaled they can reach deep into our lungs and tissues via the bloodstreams. PM 2.5 stands for the Particulate Matter 2.5 floating in the air that is the size of 2.5 microns. In this study, we analyzed the aeroallergen and the PM 2.5 in the Texas panhandle and conduct studies with AHPCO nanotechnology to reduce the aeroallergen. There are a high number of fibers coming from the feedlots. Pollen is not the only microscopic aeroallergen that affects humans; there are fibers, Trichrome (plant hair), insect parts and more. All of these PM 2.5 aeroallergens can affect human health. Humans spend most of their time indoors; bio analyzing PM 2.5 and using air purifiers inside can help maintain cleaner air indoors. I used a Leica DM-750 Digital microscope with LAS V4.9 to analyze the PM 2.5 and the aeroallergen that are prevalent in the Texas panhandle. Allergies, asthma and hospitalizations for respiratory diseases are rising worldwide caused by air pollution of aerosols in the form of Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) in correlation with other aeroallergens. The PM 2.5 is largely responsible for air pollution all over the world, which leads to serious health hazards and death because of its size. Studies on improvement of outdoor air quality are extremely important for everyone’s health. There are many reports of poor air quality measuring above the prescribed safe level found in Beijing in China, Delhi in India, Istanbul in Turkey, Hanoi in Vietnam, Southeastern Brazil, Los Angeles and New York in the U.S. In some locations like Beijing, wearing a mask during commutes is common practice because of high pollution concentration of PM 2.5. Advances have been made in the air purification system by using the Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Oxidation (AHPCO) and Plasma-technology used in the unit called i-Adapt developed by Air Oasis in Amarillo, Texas. We measured the natural rate of decay and compared that to the i-Adapt unit to assess the proficiency of this newly developed air purification unit. After the fans ran for 24 hours the unit i-Adapt was turned on and reading of PM 2.5 representing the air quality was taken at 24, 72, and 120 hours with a Temtop M2000C air quality meter. Our evaluation and assessment with aeroallergens like pollen and molds, fibers and dander showed that the i-Adapt air purifier stands in the front of the world’s air purification system involving a hybrid technology to improve the indoor air quality. Further studies should be conducted to establish the applications of the i-Adapt Unit to the various facets of our lives.
A Campaign to Improve Seasonal Flu Immunization Compliance in a University Nursing Health and Wellness Clinic
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Reyes, Helen; Loftin, Collette; Hartin, Vicki
Abstract Seasonal influenza can result in enormous physical and economic burdens. Healthy People 2020 reports that substantially fewer than the recommended 70% in most age groups actually receive the immunization (Bekkat-Berkani & Romano-Massotti, 2018). The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the WTAMU Nursing Health and Wellness Clinic seasonal flu campaign was considered advantageous to those who received it on campus. A brief survey was developed for distribution to those who received the influenza immunization during the 2018-2019 flu season. Making the flu vaccine convenient and inexpensive/free has been an effective mechanism to improve immunization acceptance in our community. Response rate for the survey was 61% or 106 individuals with 47 (44%), reporting that they would not have sought out the seasonal flu immunization had it not been made available on the university campus. More importantly, when the 106 participants were asked where on campus they received their immunization, only 43 (41%) physically came to the nursing clinic, while 63 (59%) were provided the vaccine in their departmental workplace. Of those individuals receiving immunization in their office or workplace, 24 (38%) reported that had it not been provided in this venue, they would not have gone to the nursing clinic or elsewhere to be immunized. Of those responding to the survey, 65 individuals reported having received an influenza immunization during the 2017-2018 season. The remaining 41 respondents either could not recall or denied receiving the vaccine. However, when asked about their intentions to be immunized in the 2019-2020 season, 98 participants related positive intention to receive the seasonal flu immunization.
Culinary Literacy and Parasocial Interaction Relationships: The Role of Hispanic Celebrity Chefs in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Albarran, Paola
The phenomenon of celebrity chefs is a vibrant area of study, and previous research has demonstrated it with studies focusing on audience participation, masculinity, and food criticism. However, despite the ubiquity of celebrity chefs in the media, there are limited data related to parasocial relationships, healthy eating, and the influence of Hispanic celebrity chefs in modern society. Due to this lack of scholarly research, this research examines the phenomenon of the potential of Spanish-language celebrity chefs to become role models and promote a healthy lifestyle in Hispanics living in the United States. Building on the theory of social cognitive theory, parasocial relationships, and identification, this research aims to investigate the exposure of adults to celebrity chef television programs, to assess the influence these figures have and how they are perceived. This study explores the intersection of Hispanic celebrity chefs and parasocial relationships by conducting a quantitative analysis of the influence of celebrity chefs on individuals’ lifestyles habits, complemented by a qualitative study of eight Hispanic celebrity chefs who are using healthy techniques to increase individual behavioral changes. This study offers a unique insight into understanding the behavioral and psychological impact celebrity chefs can have on audiences. The effect of celebrity chefs could be greater to those who experience and are prone to higher levels of identification; thus, this article offers some thoughts on positive health outcomes stemming from this phenomenon. Understanding the implications of celebrity chefs as role models can further research on entertainment-education approaches and mass media-based health initiatives.
Cybersecurity: Using Machine Learning Algorithms to Detect SQL Injection Attacks
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Subburaj, Vinitha Hannah; Pham, Binh A.
Cybersecurity is a prevailing issue across the nation. In the twenty-first century, almost everyone around the globe is using at least one of the internet websites that contain his/her private information. Since privacy concerns us, this research effort focuses on one of the most recent cyber-attacks which is the SQL injection (SQLi) attacks. As a result of SQL injection attack on websites, data could be destroyed, stolen, or manipulated. SQL injection attacks are done by injecting despicable SQL statements through the entry field of the website or the application; thus, manipulating the database. SQL injection attacks had proven their danger on several website types such as social media, e-shopping, etc... In order to prevent such attacks from occurring, this research effort investigates on efficient ways of detection and prevention, so we can preserve each cyber-user’s right to privacy. This research effort is aimed at investigating and looking at different ways to protect websites from SQL injection attacks. In this research effort, machine learning algorithms were used to detect such SQLi attacks. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are algorithms that can learn from the data provided and infer interesting results from the dataset. We have used SQL code as our data and ML algorithms to detect malicious code. The machine learning model developed in this research can detect such attacks from happening in the future. The precision and accuracy of the machine learning algorithms in terms of predicting the SQLi attacks have been calculated and reported in this research paper.
Economic Analysis of Li-Ion Battery Energy Storage System
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Preciado, David; Petterson, Pham; Subburaj, Anitha S.; Subburaj, Vinitha Hannah
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) serve as vital elements in deploying renewable energy sources into electrical grids in addition to enhancing the transient dynamics of those power grids. Application Program is developed to simulate outputs for the optimal action to take place.
An Experiential Learning Approach to Media and News Literacy
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Garcia, Nancy; Spikes, Michael
Generation Z students, born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, have had technology since a young age and are comfortable with the Internet and social media, but are not necessarily media literate, and when it comes to service, they are focused on solving problems. With this in mind, a media literacy experiential learning project was incorporated as a component of an upper level undergraduate course. The goal of this project was to provide college students with the tools necessary to think critically about media content by leading workshops for students in two local high schools. The students enrolled in the course were exposed to the concepts of information and misinformation, social media in journalism, and information literacy before reviewing three core lessons: 1) Deconstructing the News and Evaluating Sources, 2) Balance, Fairness, and Bias, and 3) Truth and Verification. To gather data, the students enrolled in the upper level undergraduate course completed a news literacy skill assessment and a personal reflection. The results of the assessment indicated the students’ knowledge to be above the emerging or intermediate level when it comes to identifying credible sources. However, results also showed that the students’ knowledge is below emerging or intermediate level when it comes to identifying methods of different types of media and news, evaluating reliability of sources, and determining whether the information provided is fair and balanced. On the other hand, the student reflections indicated advocacy of media and news literacy lessons and recognition of personal knowledge deficits when it comes to media and news literacy. The results of this experiential learning project highlight the importance of combining new models of engaged learning with frameworks for media and news literacy.
Virtual Manipulatives in Mathematics Interventions for Students with Mathematics Difficulties
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Shin, Mikyung; Simmons, Michelle; Goode, Frank; Meador, Audrey; Deal, Alexa; Jackson, Tammye
Using a multiple-probe single-case research design, this study will investigate the effects of virtual manipulative-based explicit instruction on the accuracy and quantitative reasoning of multiplying fractions word problems of middle school students with mathematics difficulties. A total of five middle school students who meet the following inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in this study: (a) be in middle school, (b) provide parental consent and child assent for the study, (c) perform below the 25th percentile (Cirino, Fuchs, Elias, Powell, & Schumacher, 2015) on the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III ACH) Applied Problems (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2007), (d) perform below the 25th percentile on the easy CBM benchmark assessment (Alonzo, Tindal, Ulmer, & Glasgow, 2006), and (e) demonstrate a deficit relative to the target skill, by earning a score below 30% on a researcher-developed screening test of word problems involving multiplication with fractions.
Characterizing Monotone Games
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Barthel, Ann-Christine; Hoffman, Eric
Solution concepts in games of strategic heterogeneity (GSH), which include games of strategic complements (GSC) as a special case, have been shown to possess very useful properties, such as the existence of highest and lowest serially undominated strategies, and the equivalence of the stability of equilibria and dominance solvability. The main result of this paper gives necessary and sufficient conditions for when a very general class of games, referred to as games of mixed heterogeneity (GMH), can be transformed into GSH in such a way so that these properties are preserved, allowing us to draw the same strong conclusions about solution sets in games that are not originally GSH. This is achieved by reversing the orders on the actions spaces of a given subset of players. Our second main result shows, rather surprisingly, that under mild conditions on the underlying ordering of action spaces, the reversal of orders is the only way in which such a transformation can be achieved. Applications to aggregate games, market games, and crime networks are given.
Using iPads with a Student-Run Firm to Enhance Learning and Client Work
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Kinsky, Emily; Bruce, Kimberly R.
Students in WTAMU’s student-run public relations firm, 1910 PR, were offered an iPad Pro with an attached keyboard and Apple Pencil for one month last spring as part of a collaboration between the university CIO and the Dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. Their use of the iPads was part of a test before expanding the initiative across other classes in the fall. Having the latest iPad Pro in their hands gave students an opportunity to learn the best uses for a professional tool as they completed coursework and client work, such as content creation, social media management, media relations, and event planning.
Investigating the Effects of Oak Spiral Aging on Beer ABV and IBU
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Flynn, Nick
Prior studies have identified a decrease in ABV and an increase in IBU associated with oak spiral aging in beers. Initial results indicated that the ABV decrease was because of oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid due to resealing of bottles, while the IBU increase was proposed to be due to oak components that dissolved in aged beer. In this study, commercial beer samples were opened, allowed to sit for 30 seconds and resealed. Additionally, an oak spiral was added to a 5.00 % aqueous solution of ethanol. After three weeks, there was no difference in ABV or acetic acid content in the opened bottles when compared to bottles that remained sealed. The oak spiral ethanol solution exhibited a decrease in ABV similar to that found in our prior studies. Both UV-Visible spectra and A275 absorbance of this same solution indicate that oak spirals contribute a significant amount of absorbance at 275 nm thus confirming that oak components contributed to the IBU increase. In conclusion, oak spirals do appear to decrease beer ABV in an oxidation-independent fashion while concomitantly increasing IBU values using the A275 IBU method.
Impact of Sustained Scholarship: Enduring Opportunities for High-Quality Education
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Coneway, Betty; Hwang, Sang; Lyounghee, Kim
Abstract: The mixed-methods research study was designed to identify outcomes of sustained scholarship support on a targeted group of students. The investigation explored the influence of receiving ongoing scholarship funds on the recipients, their families, and on the school’s culture. The identified sample of students attended a non-profit private preschool and was then awarded a scholarship to attend a private, faith-based preparatory institution serving students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade in a rural hub city. Two scholarships are given annually to preschool students who have demonstrated academic potential and whose families actively engage in their child’s education. Data was collected from 26 study participants from three subgroups: 1) adult and minor scholarship recipients, 2) parents of scholarship recipients, and 3) faculty and staff of the preparatory school. Adult participants responded to online survey questions, while minor recipients were asked face-to-face interview questions at the school. Data analysis revealed that diversification of the student population by race, background, and socio-economic may help students identify more easily with the world around them and be more accepting of different cultures. Analysis of the data also highlighted that even though the scholarship funds covered the students’ tuition, there were additional expenses that were sometimes prohibitive for the scholarship recipients, such as school uniforms, field trips, and unplanned costs. Conclusions drawn from the data reveal that a positive school culture enables all students to feel a sense of belonging, participate actively in the educational community, and develop meaningful social relationships.
Data Driven High Performance Data Access
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Ramljak, Dusan;
Low-latency, high throughput mechanisms to retrieve data become increasingly crucial as the cyber and cyber-physical systems pour out increasing amounts of data that often must be analyzed in an online manner. Generally, as the data volume increases, the marginal utility of an ``average'' data item tends to decline, which requires greater effort in identifying the most valuable data items and making them available with minimal overhead. We believe that data analytics-driven mechanisms have a big role to play in solving this needle-in-the-haystack problem. We rely on the claim that efficient pattern discovery and description, coupled with the observed predictability of complex patterns within many applications offers significant potential to enable many I/O optimizations. Our research covers exploitation of storage hierarchy for data driven caching and tiering, reduction of distance between data and computations, removing redundancy in data, using sparse representations of data, the impact of data access mechanisms on resilience, energy consumption, storage usage, and the enablement of new classes of data driven applications. For caching and prefetching, we offer a powerful model that separates the process of access prediction from the data retrieval mechanism. Predictions are made on a data entity basis and used the notions of ``context'' and its aspects such as ``belief'' to uncover and leverage future data needs. This approach allows truly opportunistic utilization of predictive information. We elaborate on which aspects of the context we are using in areas other than caching and prefetching different situations and why it is appropriate in the specified situation. We present in more detail the methods we have developed, BeliefCache for data driven caching and prefetching and AVSC for pattern mining based compression of data. In BeliefCache, using a belief, an aspect of context representing an estimate of the probability that the storage element will be needed, we developed modular framework BeliefCache, to make unified informed decisions about that element or a group. For the workloads, we examined we were able to capture complex non-sequential access patterns better than a state-of-the-art framework for optimizing cloud storage gateways. Moreover, our framework is also able to adjust to variations in the workload faster. It also does not require a static workload to be effective since modular framework allows for discovering and adapting to the changes in the workload. In AVSC, using an aspect of context to gauge the similarity of the events, we perform our compression by keeping relevant events intact and approximating other events. We do that in two stages. We first generate a summarization of the data, then approximately match the remaining events with the existing patterns if possible, or add the patterns to the summary otherwise. We show gains over the plain lossless compression for a specified amount of accuracy for purposes of identifying the state of the system and a clear tradeoff between the compressibility and fidelity. In other mentioned research areas we present challenges and opportunities with the hope that will spur researchers to further examine those issues in the space of rapidly emerging data intensive applications. We also discuss the ideas on how our research in other domains could be applied in our attempts to provide high performance data access.
Doping dependence and high-pressure studies on EuxCa1-xFe2As2 (0 < x < 1)
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Shrestha, Keshav
We have investigated the electrical transport and magnetic properties of EuxCa1-xFe2As2 (ECFA) (0 < x < 1) at ambient and high pressures. Temperature dependence of resistance shows a distinct anomaly at TSDW ~ 165 - 190 K due to the spin density wave (SDW) transition. Initially, TSDW increases rapidly with x up to 0.45, and then more slowly at higher x until it saturates at TSDW = 191 K for x = 1. Also, there exists another transition at low temperature, TN ~ 10 - 20 K, due to the antiferromagnetic ordering of Eu2+ spins. Magnetization does not show clear evidence of TSDW while exhibiting a sharp anomaly at TN. The TN values in both the resistance and magnetization measurements are comparable to one another and vary linearly with x. At ambient pressure, none of the ECFA samples show properties of superconductivity down to 1.8 K. With the application of external pressure, the SDW order is gradually suppressed and superconductivity with a critical temperature as high as, Tc ~ 19 K is induced in the ECFA samples (x = 0.14, 0.32, and 0.45). We have studied the pressure dependence of Tc and TSDW, and we present the pressure-temperature phase diagram.
Preparation and Characterization of Crop-Waste Biochars
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Pimentel, Andy; Bhattacharia, Sanjoy K.; Howell, Nathan
Biochar is a carbon-rich and porous material; it is produced through the pyrolysis of waste biomass. This material is capable of adsorbing chemical constituents from water, air, or other media. This capability has allowed it to become an alternative water filtration option potentially comparable to activated carbon. Raw biomass crop waste including cotton hull, pecan shell, and rice husk were converted to biochar through Top-Lifted Updraft (TLUD) and Muffle Furnace (MF) pyrolysis processes. The material properties of these biochars have been characterized through the use of XRD, FTIR, TGA, DSC, SEM, and BET surface area analytical tools. The analyses reveal the physical and chemical characteristics of the raw materials and biochar. XRD analysis of the raw materials and biochars shows that these materials are noncrystalline (amorphous). FTIR analysis shows the presence of O-H, C-H, C-C, CH2, C-H, and C-O-C functional groups in the cellulose structure of the raw material; this ensures that an oxidizer is present in the cellulose structure of these raw materials. The crop waste biochar predominantly contain the C-O-C functional groups. TGA and DSC analyses show that raw materials and biochars undergo pyrolysis at around 260°C and 340°C, respectively. This indicates a higher thermal stability of biochar and a greater availability of oxidizer in the raw materials. The raw crop wastes undergoes pyrolysis at lower temperatures than biochar. SEM images show the porous structure in biochar while the BET surface analysis reveals the pore size distribution. The presence of a porous structure and active functional groups in biochar makes them an excellent candidate as a filter and membrane for the removal of pollutants from water. The fact that a quality biochar sorbent, as shown in this can study, can be made from commonly found crop waste by inexpensive, simple pyrolysis techniques demonstrates its usefulness in many environmental and chemical process applications.
Framing Multilevel Marketing on Corporate Websites and Consultants' Instagram Posts
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Huntington, Heidi; Brooks, Mary E.
The rise of smartphone applications and related internet-based technologies has been accompanied by an increased interest in the so-called “gig economy” in which workers labor in one-off arrangements with no guarantee of continued employment. Some workers seek these arrangements for their flexibility or as a “side hustle,” while others may struggle to find other types of work (Abraham, Haltiwanger, Sandusky & Spletzer, 2018). At the same time, these and similar forms of creative labor via social media are valorized as being entrepreneurial (Duffy & Wissinger, 2017). Such digital entrepreneurship is often positioned as a way for women to “have it all” and balance work with traditional family life (Duffy & Hund, 2015). In recent years the networked aspects of social media have intersected with societal trends toward a gig economy to produce a rise in multilevel marketing companies (MLMs) that rely heavily on the internet to recruit and sell. Multilevel marketing is a subset of direct selling or network marketing approaches to doing business that relies on recruiting new participants in a complex system of uplines and downlines to move product. MLMs have existed for decades, and like current discourse around creative work on social media, have often used a rhetoric of entrepreneurship to attract participants and project legitimacy (Carl, 2004). Many of the most well-known MLMs, such as Avon and Mary Kay cosmetics, are targeted toward women and are sometimes framed as home-based businesses (Amundson, 2008). MLMs and related direct selling schemes are big business, generating over $35 billion in retail sales in 2018, with 6.2 million people acting as direct sellers, 75% of whom were women (Direct Selling Association, 2019). To date, there is limited research on the intersection of multilevel marketing, social media, and digital entrepreneurship. Given existing research that demonstrates the centrality of entrepreneurialism to MLMs’ framing of their legitimacy in order to attract potential independent consultants or sellers (Carl, 2004), the present study examines the websites of 10 active MLM companies to qualitatively identify and assess themes that emerge regarding how participation in the MLM is framed for potential sellers. Additionally, the study examines 200 public Instagram posts made by MLM consultants (sellers) in order to assess how these sellers frame their participation in the MLM for others, including whether and how these posts reflect similar or different themes, or frames, from those presented by the MLMs themselves. Doing so will help us to better understand the role of MLMs within the current media and economic environment. This study may also provide insight into gendered aspects of such digital entrepreneurialism. The following research questions are posed: RQ1: What themes emerge in how MLM companies use their websites to frame participation in the MLM for potential sellers as entrepreneurialism? RQ2: What themes emerge in how MLM consultants use their Instagram posts to frame their participation in the MLM as a form of entrepreneurialism?
Inhibition of Sorcin Protein to Improve the Efficacy of Doxorubicin in the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Muniz, Alexandra E.; Phelps, Shelby M.; Bos, Tasia J.; Yarbrough, Jason C.; Khan, David R.
Doxorubicin, and the liposomal formulation Doxil, are among the first-line chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of a variety of cancers, including metastatic breast cancer. Although doxorubicin has proven to be an effective cytotoxic agent, one major challenge in current therapy is the development of cancer cell resistance to this drug. One possible mechanism by which this resistance can occur is through overexpression of the calcium-binding protein, sorcin, which has the potential to directly bind doxorubicin, thereby limiting its cytotoxic effects. Therefore, the focus of this research is to utilize the compound dihydromyricetin (DMY), a known inhibitor of sorcin to potentially increase the overall efficacy of doxorubicin. In this study, a series of cytotoxicity assays were conducted to assess cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin against metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) as well as non-cancerous breast cells (MCF-10A), both with and without the inhibitor. A significant increase in cytotoxic capabilities of doxorubicin was observed in the metastatic cell line when coupled with DMY. Furthermore, western blot analysis was used to probe for the overexpression of sorcin in both non-cancerous breast cells as well as the metastatic cell line. Future work will involve the incorporation of doxorubicin and DMY into a unique, targeted-liposomal formulation which will ultimately be tested in cytotoxicity assays.
Strategic Pedagogy: Pursuing Best Practices for Teaching Asychronous Online Health Economics Courses
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Meredith, Neil
This chapter employs eight years of experience and research to develop recommended best practices for choosing a textbook, producing videos, role-playing discussion forums and random block examinations when teaching health economics online asynchronously. Best practice recommendations include picking a textbook that has prebuilt slides, fits the student audience, provides some practice exercises, and has a relatively long shelf life. For video production, I recommend developing a high-quality, short introduction video and producing as many minimal editing videos as possible. I recommend role-playing discussion forum use to improve learning and engagement in discussion forums. I also recommend employing random block examinations with a time constraint and visibility constraint to deter academic dishonesty. I conclude with a final recommendation for other helpful resources such as the Teaching Health Economics Special Interest Group within the International Health Economics Association.
At-Home Fathers, Breadwinning Mothers: Relational Dialectics in Lived vs. Mediated Experiences of Fathers as Primary Caregivers
(WTAMU Cornette Library, 2020-03-05) Huntington, Heidi
While a growing body of research demonstrates the importance of involved fathers in healthy child development (Child & Family Research Partnership, 2018), very involved fathers – those acting as primary caregivers for their children – must contend with a number of stereotyped societal expectations about hegemonic masculinity, which in the U.S. place men in the traditional “breadwinner” role (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2016; Medved, 2016; Parker & Stepler, 2017). Fathers who do stay home often report feelings such as identity struggle, career derailment, social stigma, and social isolation (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2016; Beaubien, 2018; Cripe, 2007; Livesay, 2008a; Ludden, 2013; Harrington et al., 2012) that may come from adopting a role inconsistent with their primary socialization (Coskuner-Balli & Thompson, 2012). At the same time, the willingness of fathers to challenge these societal norms and assume primary caregiving duties can have a significant positive impact on the career trajectories of their breadwinning partners (Beaubien, 2018; Harrington et al., 2012), and also challenge or reduce gender stereotypes over time (Chesley, 2011; Harrington et al., 2012; Medved, 2016). A source for social construction of gender roles and parenting schema may be mediated depictions of parenthood, which may both reflect and perpetuate parenting and gender role stereotypes. Similarly to schema, mental models, or individualized cognitive frameworks people hold regarding the “general idea of a specific phenomenon” and are used to interpret or evaluate subsequent information, are often produced through media viewing (Mastro, Behm-Morawitz & Ortiz, 2007). However, research suggests that in the case of mothers, mediated representations of motherhood do not accurately reflect the lived experience of at-home mothers, while still shaping the parent’s thinking and feeling about the self (Orgad, 2016). Although the experiences of both working and stay-at-home mothers have been explored in the literature, (e.g. Buzzanell, Meisenbach, Remke, Liu, Bowers & Conn, 2005; Orgad, 2016; Meisenbach, 2010), more work is needed to better understand how stay-at-home fathers negotiate the identity struggle that comes with taking on a role that challenges hegemonic masculinity. This mixed-methods study will build on previous scholarship that has examined relationships between media portrayals and the lived experiences of stay-at-home mothers to extend this line of inquiry to stay-at-home fathers.

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